Ireland – Software programming and consultancy services – Direct Award of a Contract for Audio Visual (AV) and Video Management System (VMS) technical consultant for consultancy services

Description

Dublin City Council has invoked Article 32.2. (c) of Directive 2014/24/EU which allows for the use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication in so far as is strictly necessary where, for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with. The circumstances invoked to justify extreme urgency shall not in any event be attributable to the contracting authority. DCC requires an appropriately experienced Audio Visual (AV) and Video Management System (VMS) technical consultant to take over essential consultancy services for the Greater Dublin Area Traffic Control Centre following the liquidation of the previously appointed consultant. A Contract has been awarded to Hewshott UK Ltd. The value of the contract is €400,000 ex vat

Key facts

Procedure

neg-wo-call

Contact

karen.hosie@dublincity.ie

Pre-award estimate

€400k

Regime

publicSector

Contract references

Direct Award of a Contract for Audio Visual (AV) and Video Management System (VMS) technical consultant for consultancy services

Category

services

Awarded suppliers

• Hewshott UK Ltd · 8498327264 · GB

Supplier location as published: 9 St George's Yard, Castle Street, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7LW, GU9 7LW, GB

Ground given for limiting competition

The buyer’s own stated reason for awarding without open competition, as published. Their assertion, not a finding.

urgency

The consultant previously appointed to provide the required AV/VMS technical consultancy services entered liquidation . This occurred while the project was active and during a live procurement process for the Supply, Installation, Testing, Commissioning, Support, Maintenance and Related Services of Audio-Visual Equipment for Dublin City Council's Traffic Management Control Room project. As a result of the liquidation, Dublin City Council (DCC) no longer had access to the appointed technical consultant whose services were essential to maintaining continuity of both the procurement process and the wider project. DCC had no prior knowledge of any financial or operational difficulties affecting the consultant. DCC was informed of the position only when the above procurement had been finalised. The procurement is highly technical and is based substantially on the design, specifications and supporting documentation prepared by the original consultant. Tender submissions have now been received and require detailed technical assessment by a suitably qualified and experienced consultant. It is essential that this assessment is carried out by a consultant who can quickly understand the system as designed and tendered, in order to avoid unnecessary delay, disruption to the procurement process, or the risk of having to repeat or materially revise the tender. Running a separate open competition to appoint a replacement consultant at this stage would significantly delay the assessment of the tender submissions. It would also create a material risk that a newly appointed consultant, without sufficient familiarity with the existing design and project history, would need to revisit or re-design elements of the system before being in a position to complete the tender assessment. This could result in further delay, additional cost and a risk to the continuity of the project.